VCAL PROJECT IN CAMBODIA

As part of their VCAL Personal Development unit this semester, four Year 12 students, Grant Bourne, Reece Patten, Trent Murphy and Jarryd Bryant, are currently engaged in a project that will see them financing and building a home for a poor family in a Cambodian village near Siem Reap. In partnership with the aid organization ‘Partnering Against Poverty Association’, the four students and I will be travelling to Cambodia in June to work on the house as labourers, doing activities such as building, bricklaying, sanding, painting and landscaping.

The first stage of the project is to provide a decent roof over their heads. This will bring them some stability and allow them to move forward in their lives. The next stage is to provide solar panels for electricity. This will provide lighting for the evenings and allow the children to do homework at night. This stage will also include providing the family with a fresh water source – either a well or a water pump. The third stage is to provide resources to allow the family to provide themselves with a reliable source of income in the future. A push bike will help the father gain employment a distance away. Equipment such as a sewing machine or loom will give the family the chance to create a source of income by selling their products to tourists.

All equipment is available in Cambodia at an excellent price, so we are currently raising money for this project. The students aim to raise $20,000 for the project. We are asking all members of the College community to consider supporting the project in some way.